Ski



Patented Oct. 16, 1945 UN-nav ySTATES PAT ENT f SKI.

Oliver A. Erickson, Jamestown, N. Y. Application January 8, 1943:, Serial N; '471,687

2 claims. (C1. eso-'n. isji This invention relates to an improvement in fand particularlyto skis ythat are individually separable into several parts.

Prior to this invention it has been the general practice" to produce a ski from la single, straight grained piececi any of certain kinds of wood. Due to Vthe'wear and abuse to Awhich a ski` is ordinarily subjected,only Ythe best of straight grained' Woods were used. Skis are generally required 'to be of considerable length and lgreat inconvenience has always been experienced in their'transport'ation and handling by reason of this length. In some few instances skis have been formed'from separable parts for the purpose of making them more compact and more readily transportable. Such multiple part skis have"v generally beenv found unsatisfactory by reason of the fact that they required channels or other connection parts that either added considerable Weight to V'the skis or failed to properly connect and align the parts'.v In other instances multiple part' skis, after a period of use, have not been so readily separable as to avoid damage to the ski parts or the means vbytvhich such parts were joined together. Y l

It is the purpose Vand one of theV objects of the present invention to provide a ski comprised of several sections, each of the sections beingfformed from woodv pieces of considerably'less than ski length, and being thus readily obtainable in straight grained pieces of the most suitable kind andatvery-.nominal cost. Another object of the invention lies in the provision of Aa multiple se'ction ski in which the connecting means accurately aligns and renders the sections absolutelyV rigid. Another'object of the invention'lies in the provisloncf v`connector means for a multiple section ski 'that does not stiien orri'gidify those parts of, the-ski normally .required to be flexible. An-

other object of the invention lies -in the provisiono'f connector means for a multiplev section skilthat, lby its very nature,- constantly urges 'the sections into full engagement during use Vofthe ski. Another obiiect of the* invention lies inthe provision of means by which they sections of a ski,y whenassembledymaybe fully 'drawn into and vsecured Y'assembled position, this means also serving to initiate separation o'f the sections folloy'ring` use of the ski, by 'overcoming any resistance 'that may 'occur due to formation of ice or snow-while in use.

Other, objects and` advantages of thekinvention will" bef 'more' 'fully understood vfrom a consider- @firm of 'the ioilyiigsspsieatiaa .takenn .9011-5 jun-@tieni with the aecoinpanyingu drawing; ana inwhicn Fig. 1 is a side Velevat-ional View of la ski Aeni-` bodying one form of the invention; y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged 'fragmentary side elevational view of the skisections `priorto'assembly';

Figf is a fragmentary plan view of the ycentral portion of an assembled ski;

Fig.v 4 is a plan view of the two sections that go to make up the full lengthof the ski;y

Fig, 5 is yan enlarged vertical sectional 'view showing the means for connecting two of 'the ski sections; a`n'd Fig. 6 is .an enlarged vertical sectional View taken substantially'on the line 6-'6 of Fig. 3f, and shows the means `forsecurizrig 'the connecting means against displacement; L

Reference being more particularly hadlto the drawing, the numeral I0 is employed to generally designate a ski which, in general configuration; is conventionalin character and comprises a front section I I, rear section I2, and intermediate Yor foot receivinglsection I3. The front section lI, at its rear edge 14, is beveled, substantially as shown, the bevel being such that the lower or' runner surface ofv'this section is longer A'than the upper jsurface. Adjacent the ledge I4, one or more slide connectors 'I6 are provi-ded. In the present showing 'these connectors consist of 'a `iiat member vhaving a body portion II that is setinto avertical sl'ot I8, opening on Ythe-upper surfaceV I9 ofthe section II. The upper edge of the bodyportion A'I'Irnay be substantially flush with the surface vI!) and the connector continues upwardlythereabjove to provide an engaging portion `21. This'p'orti'on is' formed with a generally triangularly shaped leading edge 22V and a 'somewhat roundedrear edge 23. The height of the portion 2I, abovethe surface I9, is, 'of course, less than thejlthickn'ess of the intermediate section I3. When the' ccnnectorl has beenI set into the 'slot 18, pins- 2'4 areedriven into Isuitable openings `in the'sde edge of vsection I lI and project through corresponding openings .in the body portion I'I. These pins serve to securely anchorfthe connector I6; ,To assure absolute rigidity in the assembly V'of the sections of the ski, Vit has been found-'preferable to provide 'two connectors I6 in thel section' `I'I.' However, in skis having shorter-sections, itwo'uld be suitable to increase the length vof--the'connector, locate it centrally of thesides ofl the seci tion, landprovide only one lcoi'i'nectorin the front section.V `In skisutilized for racing or jumpingit mightflbe ,found :advantageous to increase Vthe number of connectors over those shown in the present embodiment of the invention.

The rear section I2, at its forward end, is formed with a beveled edge 26, this bevel being the reverse of the bevel I4 of section II. The rear section is also tted with two connectors I6 in the manner described in connection with the connectors of section II. It will be noted, however, (see Fig. 4) that the connectors of section II and those orsection I2 are instaggered relationship, this. being -to improve the rigidity of the parts whnvassembled. Sections II and I2 constitute the full length of the ski and together pro? vide the entire runner surface. These sections are engaged bythe intermediate section I3, which f 2,387,061 j ...nl i

sec-tion I3, and as section II is moved rearwardly with the engaging portion 2l of the connector moving up the inclined edge 34, the beveled edge I4 moves into abutment with the beveled edge 26. From this it will be readily understood that sections I2 and I3 cannot be separated until section I I is rst removed.

During the assembly of sections II and I3, arm 38 of the latch structure occupies the position shown in Fig. 2, and following such assembly, the arm is swung downwardly about its pivot 39, such movement causing the finger 43 to move through .s .the opening 42. If, as may be possible with hursection are side plates 2B which may', be either riveted or screwed to the section and include an upstanding slotted part 29 for engagement with f The present disclosureprovides four connectors c 6 Vtwo ineach of the s ectionsll and` I2, and th' ion I 3'is therefore provided. with fourcorrespondingly disposed receiving nmembers. Each member 3.1 is of elongated rectangularY proportions 'and n'ininted infadownwardly opening: slot 32. The member is preferably'substantially iiush with the'under surface'of the section I3 and does not extend quite thev full depth of the slot 32. An inclined longitudinal slot 33 isV formeduin the member 131';V 'thjedges' 34 of which are-preferably paralleland ,inclined atl an angle substantially the same as" the angle of the leading edge 22. Each of.,these-rnemloers is secured ,inI its slot 33 by suitable pins 36 thatextendtransversely of the section I3,-

"flhe intermediate section I3, when in position on sections II and I`2,'overlies each of these sections to substantially the same extent, and in that portion of the section that overliessection II there is mounted a latch structure 31 which, when in'. operated position, prevents inadvertent 'disengagemento'f the section connectors. This latch (see Fig. 6) vcomprisesar'l arm 38 having one end pivotally'supported on `a pin 39 carried by the section: I3.v "'I'he'arm 38 seats in Va suitable recess 4I inthesectiomlso thatvvhen in latching position fit will, be flush with the top surface. An opening 42is made in the `:section into which may project a la'tching iifngfer.` 43. A This ringer extends downwardly from the part' 38 and terminates in an offset portion 44 that includes camming surfaces4liani'4fl.vv i VTheflinger''43',is, ofcourse, longer than the thickness YoftheY section I3 and, thus, when thel latch is 'in-operated, position,V projects beneathv such section into section II Section!! isformed' with a recess 48, the upperedge 4of which is rimmed by a plate 49, `r Irlie openingin'the plate 49 isffvthe saine length, or less than =the length, of'jthe'vrecess 48. in order that `camming .surfaces ofthe'latch' finger V43 will contact the plateand not thewalls ofthe recess 48.- j

To assemble theA ski embodying ,the sections and connectors described, itisirst necessary .to bring sections I2 and I3 into engagementby projecting the leading edges22 of the connectors Il'intogthe' slots 3,4 Vof members 3i andmoving section I3 for.- wardlyy with respect .tolsection- I2.'y Whenthese parts have .been; moved into ,the position sug- .iiesidinis- 5. Seann lli-nay berengagedrwith Qried assembly of the sections, section I I is not in l abutment with section I3, the camming surface 4T of finger 43 will strike the rear edge of plate 49,'and as' thev arm is further moved, force sections II` and I3 into the position suggested in Fig. 6. A portion of the foot of the user of the ski rests upon that portion of section I3 in which arm 38 is located. Thus the sectionsncannot become inadvertently separated while the 4skisare, inY use, orso long as the users foot isiriplace ond section I3. r 1 -g It is evident from the above description `.that when the'ski is in use there is an urge upon4 the sectionV I3 to move forwardly with respect to secr, tions Il and I2,and it willbe noted that any movement on the part of section I3 inthisdirection merelyv urges sections I I and I2 into closer.V or tighter engagement therewith. When it isvdjesired to disassemble the ski sections, thefoot removed from section` I3 and arm'38 swung up#A wardly about its pivot 39. Such movement'of the arm causes the surface 46 to contact plate v49 vand move,section I I slightly forwardly with respect to section I3. This movement` is not vintended as suflicient to separate the sections but rather initiate such separation Vby breaking any seal of accumulated ice or snow. Following raisingarin 38, section I I maybe moved forwardly and downswardly with respect to section I3; following which,j section I2 maybe disengaged. j -The-three sectionsbeing formed from wood and the connector and latch parts-being relatively' small and light weight, the ski, as a whole, will weigh no morethan 'a conventional single piece ski, since in such single piece skis the central or foot receiving portion is asthick as Vthe intermediate section I 3 and of approximately the same length.'4A Additionally, a single piece ski is, ordi-'- narily equippedwith plates for securing toe'strapsl or harness, the. `weight otwhich is'coni'parable'toplates,2v8.and the fconnectors. It isco'nside'r'ed highly advantageous', from an economical view` point, to construct. skis from multiplepartsgsince it is much easier `to obtain the most-.desirable kindsvof wood'and the straightest grain in; smaller' sections than it is in long ski length '.sectioris... Although applicantfhas shown and described; only one form .of multiple section ski, together` with connector and latch, it will; beunderstood thatvariations ofsthisstructure are within consurfaces of said sections, said intermediate section having recesses corresponding in size and number to said portions and adapted to receive and engage said portions through relative endwise movement of said front and rear sections.

2. In a multiple part ski, front and rear sections disposed in end to end relationship and together providing the entire runner surface of the ski, the rearmost end of the front section being overcut and the foremost end of .the Irear section being correspondingly undercut, an intermediate foot receiving section in superposed overlapping position on said sections, a rearwardly inclined connector on said rear section engageable with a corresponding slot in said intermediate section, a further rearwardly inclined connector on said front section engageable with a corresponding slot in said intermediate section, the rearmost end of said front section overlying the foremost end of said rear section and securingsaid rear section against displacement from said intermediate section, and means carried by said intermediate section engageable with said front section and operable to secure said front section against displacement.

OLIVER A. ERICKSON. 

